picking a server setup and database help

Ok so yes i realize i need help but im really wanting to do this my self. so here goes im attempting to design a wikipedia like data base that can be viewed for the game entropia universe. I have the basic code built for the java program to do what i want but heres what i need help and suggestions on since i know not much or nothing in these areas.

My main idea is to have the main data on a server where the program would que the approite pages but where certain pages which wont take up info can be stored as part of the program on the device. example the map with a list of cities is small enough to be kept on device but now lets say the pages for all the items / creatures ...... is too many to be held on the device and some info like current auction ammount value will have to be updated frequently / daily /hourly it would be easier to keep on the server where the prices can be updated automaticly... so whats the best way to save the data / set it up on the server.... also need ideas as to the server to use and what lauguages will i need to use to connect my program to get and download the data to the device.

any other thoughts or things ive not covered that i should be thinking of ??

thanks in advance for all help

I haven't really got a clue what you want. How is what you're doing different from Entropedia?

doing it for a mobile device and this will give me more programing exp. since i dont have shit to do at work

more so I have no clue about databases / ways to store the data and also servers and how to access them

Quote:

---

i dont have shit to do at work

---

But think of what that does for your hourly rate!

Quote:

---

more so I have no clue about databases / ways to store the data and also servers and how to access them

---

Well this is going to be something of a steep learning curve then. I would go for a web application if I were you - so the mobile devices would have only a browser installed and all your work would go on a web server.

You can either find a domain name from somewhere (there are ways to get free ones like www.srgjames.javaprogrammingforums.com) and sign up for some free PHP + MySQL webhosting (there is a lot of it about), or you can pay for Java hosting, or to start in the basement, you can find an old server from somewhere, install some flavour of Linux (I prefer Ubuntu) on it and then install a web server / PHP / MySQL or one of the Java web servers on top of that. That way you'd develop on your local network until you have something you wouldn't mind people seeing.

Everyone uses PHP because even someone who slips and falls awkwardly on their keyboard runs a risk of accidentally generating some PHP code that will produce a nice web page. Java Web Servers are not that easy.